OLLI Newsletter - Coastal Carolina University
Transcription
OLLI Newsletter - Coastal Carolina University
If you wish to be removed from this distribution at any time, just send a reply with the word “remove” in the subject. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University coastal.edu/olli 843-349-5002 (Conway), 843-349-2767 (Myrtle Beach) or 843-349-6584 (Litchfield/Georgetown) News and Activities for Dec. 16, 2014 ~ Jan. 5, 2015 Hello, Lifelong Learners, The OLLI Board of Volunteer Leaders’ 2015 Annual Giving Campaign launched last Monday with an emailed request for your consideration as you count your blessings and express your end-of-year support for the causes and concerns for which you are grateful. We all hope OLLI is among them! Donations can be made to the Osher Lifelong Learning annual giving fund online at https://support.coastal.edu/SSLPage.aspx?pid=266. (If it does not appear in blue, then please copy and paste it into your browser.) If you prefer a hard copy, the donation request and contribution form can be found in the catalog (now available at all outreach centers, local libraries and visitor centers) or printable from the website in the masthead above. OLLI’s Free Week will be promoted in most area weekly newspapers this Thursday and in The Sun News on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve. The line-up of presentations at each site is slightly different from that in the catalog – the result of changes in instructors’ schedules. However, the Free Week dates are firm, and any last-minute changes in the schedules will be posted at each center (and in this newsletter, if time permits). Volunteer Fair: The Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation will hold its annual Volunteer Fair at the Litchfield Exchange from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan 8. We invite folks attending OLLI's Free Week at Litchfield to also check out the Volunteer Fair next door at the Exchange. Call for OLLI Ambassadors! First opportunity: Kroger’s in Garden City/Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach (The Galleria, 9610 N. Kings Hwy.) has granted the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University permission to hand out OLLI catalogs on New Year’s Eve Day (Wednesday, Dec. 31. We hope to hear from the Carolina Forest Kroger’s as well. Since Wednesday is Senior Day at Kroger’s and “our people” are there, we want to be there, too. Now, all we need are some volunteer Ambassadors to take two-hour shifts (9 to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 to 3 p.m.). Second opportunity: During the four days of Free Week, the Academic Outreach staff could use some help directing traffic, handing out catalogs, distributing expiration stickers and parking decals, and demonstrating how to use the website and how to check on class enrollment. Third opportunity: With the January semester comes a new CCU policy that two staff members must be on duty at the outreach centers whenever we are open and having OLLI classes. We have secured permission to count OLLI Ambassadors as one of the two on duty. The most difficult times to double cover are the evening hours. A training session will be held during Free Week at each of the centers. 1 If you would like to distribute the catalogs on the last day of 2014, help out during Free Week, or be an evening OLLI Ambassador, please contact D’Ann O’Donovan, chair and volunteer coordinator for the Board of Volunteer Leaders ([email protected]) or call director Linda Ketron at 843-234-3422. CCU’s beautiful cultural arts calendar for spring will be available in January, hopefully in time for Free Week distribution. In the meantime, the OLLI catalog boasts the first printed version (minus the lovely artwork) of the University’s scheduled art shows, concerts, theater performances and discussion series. As details are confirmed, the calendar is updated online at Coastal.edu (then click on “news and events,” then “Cultural Arts Calendar”). If you’d like the calendar mailed to you directly, click on the link below: http://www.coastal.edu/news/culturalarts/contact.html Four policy reminders: To participate in OLLI courses, clubs and excursions, you must be an OLLI member ($20). Fall membership expires Dec. 31; winter/spring membership covers Jan. 1 through Aug. 31. Participation in OLLI courses, clubs and excursions is limited to individuals 18 years of age and older. A service fee of 2.7 percent will be applied on all credit and debit card payments unless such payment is made in person. Nondegree Seeking Students over 60: South Carolina residents aged 60 or above can audit CREDIT (not OLLI) courses for free after paying a nominal University application fee ($45) as a “nondegree seeking student.” These students are welcome into any of the University courses (except noncredit OLLI courses) that have obtained the requisite number of paying students and have room for additional participants, with the permission of the instructor. Application forms are available at the Admissions Office in Baxley Hall and online at coastal.edu (admissions, how to apply). The Spring term begins Jan. 12, 2015. There are hundreds of credit courses offered on the main campus. Corrections to the Winter Catalog! These corrections have been made in the website version. The Myrtle Beach Education Center’s contact number was inadvertently omitted on the inside front cover – it is 843-349-2767. Classic Book Club in Litchfield has changed its January and February meeting dates to accommodate member conflicts. Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage will be discussed on Jan. 15, and three short stories from 50 Great American Short Stories, edited by Milton Crane, will be discussed on Feb. 12. The Healthy Aging Brain: How to Get One offered by Bert Hayslip at Myrtle Beach will be held on Friday, Jan. 16 (instead of Jan. 23), from 1 to 3 p.m. Social Ballroom Dancing in Myrtle Beach will be divided into two six-week sessions at $60 each. XMUSC 625 M01 will run Thursdays, Jan. 22-Feb. 26, 6:30 to 8 p.m., and XMUSC 625 M02 will run Thursdays, March 2-April 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Although the Southern Seasons Cooking School Tour on Jan. 30 is full, a second tour has been scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23. It will replace the excursion to Georgetown museums. The new course code is XHIST 457 L22, $60. Edna Lee Kuhn’s Ballet at the Barre in Litchfield has been cancelled for health reasons. A new Abstract Collage Painting class with Stephanie Shuler Hamlet has been added in Litchfield on Mondays, Jan. 26-March 2, 1 to 4 p.m. (XART 193 L01, $75). Hamlet is well known Charleston artist and gallery owner for the past 16 years. Keith Jacobs will be offering Photojournalism/Picture Stories (not Action Photography) on Tuesdays, Jan. 20-March 10, 6 to 8 p.m., at Myrtle Beach Education Center (XPHO 157 M01, $75). Learn how to shoot and assemble a photo package that tells a story from an award-winning photojournalist. Class will focus on capturing images in a candid style and putting coherent stories together. Bring your camera. The Coastal and Marine Systems Science Seminars and Suppers will continue in Georgetown on Thursdays, Jan. 15, Feb. 12 and March 12, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. (XSCI 937 G01, free with OLLI membership but registration required). 2 If there are undetected discrepancies between the at-a-glance information and the course description (e.g., day of week, dates, times, fees, course number), the at-a-glance version is correct. Two examples: Sam Syme’s course “The Decades Between the World Wars” is listed as $45 on page 9 and $40 on page 15. The course was expanded from four weeks when taught in 2010 to five weeks, so the $45 fee is correct. Susie Kinney’s course “Exploring Acrylics Painting” is listed as $50+ on page 9 and $60+ on page 11. In this case, $50+ is the correct fee. Academic Outreach Food Drive: Donation boxes are located in the reception area of the Conway, Litchfield and Myrtle Beach outreach centers. Last year, the collected canned, plastic-bottled and dry goods flowed over the containers and provided food for a good many people at local food banks in Horry and Georgetown counties. If you would like to donate, bring what you have, share what others need and accept our gratitude for your generosity! If you have questions, call Casey Keck at 349-5002. The Holiday Sale at The Hackler Course includes all shirts and outerwear at 40 percent off. There are also sales on golf shoes, gloves and golf balls. Redeem gift certificates of $50 or more between Dec. 1 and Dec. 24 and receive an additional 10 percent off on your purchase. Some restrictions apply. Looking for a quick sale? We also have an Adidas Holiday Package that includes any in-stock Adidas Golf Shirt, Adidas Golf Hat, Logo Ball and a Hat Clip or Divot Tool for $70 including taxes. Visit coastal.edu/hacklercourse or 843-349-6596. The Myrtle Beach Seniors Advisory Committee, of which AARP is a member, in conjunction with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, developed a questionnaire especially for seniors to gauge what activities they enjoy and to learn how to better serve the senior audience. The survey will be available through Jan. 31, so as to include the input of snowbirds, and results will be shared when released. Visit cityofmyrtlebeach.com for a link or go directly to the survey at mbaccresearch.com/se.ashx?s=705E3ED81CA81FCB. Volunteers Needed: Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N), a program of GRACE (Gracefully Aging with Community Encouragement), is a volunteer-based, door-to-door transportation service in Horry and Georgetown counties for homebound seniors and chronically ill and disabled adults. Whether accessing healthcare, transporting to appointments or errands, or perhaps an OLLI class – all can help your neighbor maintain a healthy, independent lifestyle in his/her own home as long as possible. The commitment is only two rides a month. Orientation is held the second Tuesday of each month at the Grace office in Myrtle Beach (921 N. Kings Highway). To find out more about volunteering (or requesting the service), visit GracefullyAging.org or call 843-839-0702. SAVE the DATE: Jan. 31, 2015, for the 2015 Waccamaw Rivers Foundation Annual Conference at HGTC Conference Center. Meanwhile, Waccamaw Riverkeeper Paula Reidhaar has announced the Rain Barrel Program: You can order a 50-gallon rain barrel, $70 each, made in the USA, 100 percent recycled plastic, childproof locking lid, bug-proof screen to keep out mosquitoes and other pests, two built-in overflow ports, nest inside each other and will fit in the backseat of a four-door sedan, gravity-fed, no pumps required. What a nifty sustainable gift! Order before Jan. 25 for pick-up at the conference on Jan. 31. For rainwater uses and to order and pre-purchase by credit card: RainBarrelProgram.org/riverkeeper. CCU Alumni and Community International Travel Program in May 2015! The focus of the trip is “World Wars from London to Paris,” and we sincerely hope you can join us for an exploration of London and Paris via Normandy in this themed sightseeing tour. If you are you curious about the origins of World War I that began 100 years ago or if you have ever wanted to follow in the footsteps of the greatest amphibious assault in history, then consider joining us! This nine-day excursion will include such notable stops as London’s Imperial War Museum, Churchill’s War Rooms, the historical docks at Portsmouth and the landing beaches in Normandy. We will cross the English Channel by ferry and explore the famous medieval city of Rouen as well as the key landmarks of Paris. In addition, we will see the heart of London, enjoy the atmosphere of a British pub, walk down the Champs-Élysées and search for the perfect baguette. This trip is designed to give CCU alumni and 3 community members, including faculty and staff, a chance to explore part of Western Europe together in a private group. OLLI members are welcome with the caveat that this will be a physically strenuous tour (lots of walking and moving from place to place). You’ll enjoy the peace of mind of a pre-planned trip without the headache of dealing with stress and strangers. The all-inclusive rate ($3,781) includes airfare, all accommodations, ground transportation, entrance fees, several meals and travel insurance. For more information and to enroll, visit coastal.edu/international/alumniandcommunityinternationaltravel/ Please contact Amanda Brian at [email protected] or Matt McDonough at [email protected] for more information. The Horry County Animal Care Center wants to send all of the animals in the shelter “Home for the Holidays” this year. As part of this third annual event, the Animal Care Center will feature special rates for animal adoptions throughout the month of December. Cat adoptions are just $30; dog adoptions, $50. Adoptions include spay or neuter, vaccines and microchip implant. The Horry County Animal Care Center’s goal is to adopt 200 wonderful pets into loving homes before Christmas! For more information, contact the Horry County Animal Care Center at 843-915-5172. e-Newsletter Format Black ink is the mainstay of OLLI items, with red ink indicating changes (additions, corrections or cancellations). Teal ink is for CCU cultural calendar entries. Violet indicates community partners and activities. If you know of events planned in your community that you believe OLLI members would enjoy, please send the particulars (not just a link to a website) to [email protected]. Tuesday, Dec. 16 Third Tuesday Treasures performance series, sponsored by the Cultural Council of Georgetown County, is pleased to present the talented youth dancers of Litchfield Dance Arts in a special holiday presentation “Celebrating the Season in Dance” at Winyah Auditorium (1200 Highmarket St., Georgetown). The dancers, under the direction of Ilka Doubek, will perform a collection of holiday-inspired dances, including some from The Nutcracker. The Cultural Council has been providing the community with these free monthly events for the past four years. Tuesday, 7 p.m., free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10 per person, to help toward youth arts initiatives. For more information, call 843-520-0744 or visit CulturalCouncil.info. Singing Christmas Tree at First Baptist Church of Georgetown. Prelude concerts featuring local musicians begin 45 minutes before each performance. Tuesday, 7 p.m., free and open to the public, 843-546-5187 or fbcgeorgetown.org. Wednesday, Dec. 17 Dec. 17 (Wed.) Governor’s Mansion & the State House, Columbia - Canceled $55 XHIST 457 L26 LITCHFIELD 10 a.m. to noon COURSE TITLE Current Events Club (12/17) INSTRUCTOR Bob Poirier FEE OLLI COURSE # XHIST 415 L01 INSTRUCTOR Wally Lasher FEE OLLI COURSE # XSKIL 736 C01 Thursday, Dec. 18 CONWAY 7 to 10 p.m. COURSE TITLE Gilles Bridge Society (ongoing, year round) 4 G. F. Handel’s “Messiah” will be presented by the Elsie Blackwell Pollock Festival Choir at the Winyah Auditorium, a restored historic landmark with amazing acoustics, located at 1200 Highmarket St., Georgetown. Thursday, 7 p.m., free and open to the public; donations graciously accepted. Dec. 18-20 – Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens. Brookgreen Gardens comes to life amid the soft glow of more than 5,500 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights. Walk the paths with a warm cup of cider, hear the sounds of hand bells ringing and carolers singing, and celebrate the season with family and friends. Thursday-Saturday, 3-10 p.m., $14 member adults, $18 nonmember adults, $8 member child, $10 nonmember child, 843-235-6000. Dec. 18-20 – Theatre of the Republic (Main Street, Conway) presents “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” based on the movie classic. Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Homan, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts – an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. The delightfully versatile score ranges from gentle ballads to show-stopping full-ensemble numbers such as “Ralphie to the Rescue!,” “A Major Award,” “Sticky Situation,” “Up on Santa’s Lap,” “Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana” and the inevitable “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!” A great show for the entire family. Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, 3 p.m., $21 (OLLI discount, $18), 843-488-0821 or visit TheatreoftheRepublic.com. Dec. 18-21 – Atlantic Stage presents “A Christmas Carol” at 79th Avenue Theatre, Myrtle Beach. “A Christmas Carol” tells the story of the redemption of a human soul. The play follows the ever-powerful story of Scrooge, a lonely miser, who through the help of spirits and visions from his past, present and future, finds a second chance to become a loving, generous human being. Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, 3 p.m., tickets available (OLLI discount) at atlanticstage.com or 877-287-8587. Dec. 18-21 – Stage Left Theatre Company (in Market Common, Myrtle Beach) presents “You Better Watch Out!” by Don Hodgins. This heartwarming holiday comedy takes place on Christmas Eve at Willow Inn. The hosts, Jenny and Tom, are having Art (Jenny’s father who is still mourning the loss of his wife) see their bed and breakfast for the first time. There is a snowstorm raging outside, and a host of interesting travelers are forced to lodge at the inn and wait it out. Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 3 p.m., tickets, 843-232-0339 or StageLeftTheatreMB.com. Friday, Dec. 19 MYRTLE BEACH 10 a.m. to noon COURSE TITLE iPad Club (3rd Fri., 12/19) INSTRUCTOR Frost/Dunteman FEE OLLI COURSE # XCTEC 200 M01 Feeding Frenzy. Feeding time at the Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center is the most exciting time of day – for the animals at least! Help National Estuarine Research Reserve staff feed all of the hungry exhibit critters, including our North Inlet fish, crabs, turtles, alligator and even our king snake. During the feeding, learn about the animals’ biology and their natural habitats. Please call to register. Friday, 1-2 p.m., free, 843-904-9016 or -9017. Dec. 19 and 20 – A Plantation Christmas at Hobcaw Barony. Christmas in the Lowcountry is celebrated the oldfashioned way at an afternoon party hosted by Hobcaw Barony volunteers at Hobcaw House. With two separate opportunities, take time from your busy holiday schedule to travel into the woods and down to a bluff overlooking Winyah Bay. The Baruch home offers tours, refreshments and remarks by Lee Brockington. Registration required for each program. Friday and Saturday, 2-4:30 p.m., $25, 843-546-4623. 5 Saturday, Dec. 20 The Horry County Museum (805 Main St., Conway) will host a Christmas Music Concert by Wayne Skipper & Friends in the McCown Auditorium. Saturday, 2 p.m., free and open to the public, call 843-915-5320 or [email protected]. Sunday, Dec. 21 Monday, Dec. 22 ~ Tuesday, Dec. 23 (until 5 p.m.) Academic Outreach Centers in Conway, Litchfield and Myrtle Beach are open to accept your Winter registrations. Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014 ~ Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015 OLLI/CCU on Winter Break Through Dec. 28 – Dixie Dugan: A Retrospective at the Franklin G. Burroughs and Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. Born in rural Kansas, artist Dixie Dugan has been a Myrtle Beach resident for the past 48 years. "Art is not my hobby. It is my life," she said recently. This retrospective will contain approximately 65 works created over the past 40 years. Now in her eighth decade, Dixie Dugan is one of the brightest lights in this area’s art scene, and she is also a popular teacher and lecturer. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; free but donations appreciated, 843-238-2510. Through Dec. 28 – Hurricane Hugo: The Batiks of Leo Twiggs, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Hurricane Hugo (1989), at the Franklin G. Burroughs and Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. This exhibition features a series of nine batik paintings created by Leo F. Twiggs, Ph.D., the year following Hurricane Hugo's devastation to South Carolina's lowcountry, his childhood home. Twiggs was born in St. Stephen in 1934. He graduated from Claflin College in Orangeburg in 1956 and went on to complete his graduate studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and New York University. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; free but donations appreciated, 843-238-2510. Tuesday, Dec. 30 Hike to Alderly. Hike straight from the Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center through pine and hardwood forests to an old rice field at Alderly Landing. This 2-1/2 miles hike will also include a stroll through Bellefield Plantation. Dress for the weather. Bring water and a lunch. Registration required. Tuesday, 1:30-4:30 p.m., $25, 843-5464623. Wednesday, Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve “Garden by Candlelight” Pre-Party. Begin your New Year’s Eve celebration at Brookgreen when the sculpture garden will open for the evening with strolling musicians, hand-lit candles and holiday lights. Light refreshments available for purchase. Advance tickets are required. Wednesday, 6-9 p.m., $20 for adults, 843235-6000. 6 Thursday, Jan. 1 Jan. 1-March 7 – Silent Cities at Brookgreen Gardens. Ride on the new Trekker down back roads and explore cemeteries on this two-hour excursion. Walk through former slaves and plantation owners’ graveyards and hear about the historical burial customs of European and African origin. Visitors who purchase tickets for this excursion will receive a discount coupon for same-day purchases at Keepsakes. Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, noon-2:30 p.m., $15 in addition to garden admission (OLLI discount), reservations suggested, 843-235-6038. Friday, Jan. 2 ~ CCU Academic Outreach Centers are open. Jan. 2-March 7 – The Oaks Plantation History and Nature Trail at Brookgreen Gardens. Through interpretive panels along this walking trail learn about the history of The Oaks Plantation and see archaeological sites that include the footprints of the plantation owner’s house, kitchen the overseer’s house, and the enslaved African village. Transportation departs on the hour. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., $3 in addition to garden admission (OLLI discount), 843-235-6000. Saturday, Jan. 3 Sunday, Jan. 4 Brookgreen Gardens’ Holiday Exhibits. Last day to take in the two indoor holiday exhibits featuring the history, art and horticulture of the South Carolina coast. Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., free with garden admission (OLLI discount), 843-235-6000. Monday, Jan. 5 ~ CCU Academic Outreach Centers are open. Looking Ahead! Jan. 6-15 – Free Week at OLLI is your opportunity to “kick the tires” before you finalize your winter lifelong learning schedule. The schedule of presenters is included in the Winter catalog and online at coastal.edu/olli. It will also be featured in local newspaper ads and in this newsletter. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Myrtle Beach Education Center Thursday, Jan. 8, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Litchfield Education Center, plus a Volunteer Fair hosted by The Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation next door in the Litchfield Exchange. Tuesday, Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Georgetown Education Center Thursday, Jan. 15, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Conway Education Center Jan. 11 – The Long Bay Symphony Guild presents Glitz & Glamour Afternoon Delight at Pawleys Plantation (70 Tanglewood Drive). Enjoy a Parisian Café luncheon, cash champagne bar, French inspired gift baskets and silent auctions, a walkabout fashion show, makeovers by Chanel. All proceeds benefit the Long Bay Symphony and its Youth Orchestra Scholarship Programs. Sunday, 1-4 p.m., $40, 843-448-8379 or LongBaySymphony.com. 7 WELCOME | SCHEDULE | SPEAKERS | HONOREES | SPONSORS | EXHIBITORS | HOTEL & TRAVEL | REGISTRATIO Registration opens for fifth annual Conference and Celebration The fifth Women's Leadership Conference and Celebration of Inspiring Women has been set for Feb. 12-13, 2015, at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel. The Women’s Leadership Conference seeks to educate, motivate and challenge women to lead change in their lives, their communities and the world. The 2015 program builds upon four highly successful events and will feature the notable speakers below, among others. Claire Shipman, a regular contributor to Good Morning America and other national broadcasts for ABC News, and co-author (with Katty Kay) of the New York Times best-selling book The Confidence Code: The Art and Science of Self-Assurance---and What Women Need to Know; renowned singer Gloria Gaynor, whose discoera hit "I Will Survive" became an anthem for social survival and the inspiration for her books; Leeza Gibbons, television host of Entertainment Tonight, businesswoman and author of the book Take 2; and Laura Schroff, a former media executive and author of the book, An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny. Claire Shipman Gloria Gaynor Leeza Gibbons Laura Schroff Pre-conference sessions centered on women's entrepreneurship will be held Thursday, February 12. The Celebration of Inspiring Women, to be held the evening of Friday, Feb. 13, will honor remarkable individuals and celebrate their contributions to our state, region, nation and world. The Celebration of Inspiring Women awards were created as an important and lasting way to recognize the incredible achievements of women who are from South Carolina or have made the state their home. Since the program’s inception in 2011, 25 women have been recognized. The 2015 honorees will be announced soon. For more information or to register, call 843-349-5037/843-349-2002 or visit wiplconference.com. All the best, Linda 8 Linda Ketron Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Coastal Carolina University 14427 Ocean Highway Pawleys Island, SC 29585 843-234-3422 Travel Opportunities with OLLI Partners: Earth Travel Pals is offering several small group excursions during the coming year. Summaries of the proposed trips can be found at EarthTravelPals.com or contact [email protected] (843-222-5839) or [email protected] (843-450-2032). New! Ladies Only: The Phantom of the Opera and Charlotte, N.C., Discovery Trip, Feb. 4-6, 2015, $429 per person (double occupancy)/$549 single. Hosted and escorted by Kathy and Judy Blackburn for OLLI members. Depart Myrtle Beach approximately 10 a.m., Wednesday, box lunch to Charlotte, hotel check-in and then dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. After dinner, choose either to visit the Mint Museum Randolph or shop at SouthPark Mall. Thursday begins with hot breakfast at the hotel, a guided tour of Levine Museum of the New South, lunch* in uptown Charlotte, a matinee performance of “Phantom of The Opera” and dinner in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood. Friday starts with a hot breakfast at the hotel before checkout. Return to the beach with a stop for lunch along the way. Back approximately 3 p.m. (*We will walk outside in uptown Charlotte three blocks from the Levine Museum to a restaurant for lunch and then two blocks from the restaurant to the Belk Theatre.) All meals included except the Cheesecake Factory and lunch returning to the beach. Deposit $100 per person; check made payable to Earth Travel Pals or by credit card, with the balance due Jan. 2, 2015. Travel Insurance optional, and rate available by request. Call Kathy for more information and reservations at 843-4502032 or email [email protected]. NEW! Earth Travel Pals and CCU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offer Exploration and Adventure in the Iconic Cities of the South: St. Augustine, Savannah and Charleston, Sunday, March 8 – Thursday, March 12, 2015. Five fun-filled days including: round-trip transportation on luxury coach; four nights lodging; breakfast daily, (4) dinners, (3) lunches; private Old Town Trolley Tour of St. Augustine; evening and dinner at the Orange Park Dog Track, with a presentation on greyhound adoptions; private shrimping/sightseeing charter and low country shrimp boil on the Lady Jane shrimp boat; visit to the Mighty Eight Air Force Museum in Savannah; take in a show at the historic Savannah Theatre; time to explore Charleston. Cost – $699/person (double occupancy); $869/person (single). Deposit – $100/person, check made payable to Earth Travel Pals, or credit card; balance due by Jan. 31. Travel insurance optional, rate available on request. For more information and reservations, call Judy Blackburn, 843-222-5839, [email protected], or Kathy Blackburn, 843-450-2032, [email protected]. NEW! America’s National Parks, 10-day tour from June 5-14, 2015 (date change). View the Wonders of the West, plus stunning scenery and amazing wildlife, through its best-known national parks, gold-mining towns and old saloons on this colorful vacation. Among the places we will visit are: Mount Rushmore; Crazy Horse Memorial; Black Hills National Forest, Deadwood, S.D.; Black Hills National Forest , Sheridan, Wyo.; Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana; Cody, Wyo.; Buffalo Bill Center of the West; Yellowstone National Park with all its wonders; Grand Teton National Park; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and Salt Lake City, Utah. VIP access and skip the lines for the must-see attractions; great hotels in the right locations; tour directors to make every destination fascinating with transportation to sit back and enjoy the ride! New lower prices are $2,219 per person for double occupancy or single available for $3,004. Included meals are daily breakfast and four dinners. Deposit is $250 per person. Estimated air at $630 per person not included. Optional travel insurance available for $199 per person. Pre- and post-night stays available. March 28-April 7, 2015: Best of China Tour. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Cameo Travel 9 Enrichment are partnering to offer members and the community an 11-day tour of China. Climb the Great Wall and see pandas in Beijing. Discover the Terra-Cotta Army in Xian. Ride the fast Maglev Train in Shanghai. Experience the beautiful Chinese gardens in Suzhou and sip green tea in Hangzhou. Beijing: The Great Wall of China, Jade Museum, Beijing Zoo (Giant Pandas), Tiananmen Square, Pearl Factory, Summer Palace. Xian: Terra Cotta Warriors Museum, Tang Dynasty Dance and Music. Shanghai: Shanghai Museum, Chenghuang Temple Mart and the Bund. Suzhou-Hangzhou: Suzhou gardens, silk spinning factory. Cost: Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce members - $2,299, nonmembers - $2,399, nonrefundable deposit - $300. This includes air from JFK, hotels, most meals and guided tours. Insurance is optional, but cost is only $143 per person. Visa for China required, $200 per person. Single supplement, $400. For more information, Barbara J. McGhee, Cameo Travel Enrichment, 843-650-4501 or [email protected]. World Cultural Tours offers “Southern Italy,” a nine-day (Nov. 6-14, 2015) motor coach tour of Sorrento, Naples, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast (with an optional tour of the Isle of Capri) and Rome (with an optional tour of the Vatican) for $2,999 (per person, double occupancy). Included in the fee: roundtrip airfare from Myrtle Beach (including air taxes up to $600), seven nights’ accommodations, luxury motor coach, professional tour manager, all breakfasts, welcome and farewell dinners, as well as three additional dinners, sightseeing fees, wine and cheese tasting. Itinerary available at the CCU outreach centers. Ongoing Activities with OLLI Partners: Through Dec. 28 – Dixie Dugan: A Retrospective at the Franklin G. Burroughs and Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. Born in rural Kansas, artist Dixie Dugan has been a Myrtle Beach resident for the past 48 years. "Art is not my hobby. It is my life," she said recently. This retrospective will contain approximately 65 works created over the past 40 years. Now in her eighth decade, Dixie Dugan is one of the brightest lights in this area’s art scene, and she is also a popular teacher and lecturer. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; free but donations appreciated, 843-238-2510. Through Dec. 28 – Hurricane Hugo: The Batiks of Leo Twiggs, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Hurricane Hugo (1989), at the Franklin G. Burroughs and Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. This exhibition features a series of nine batik paintings created by Leo F. Twiggs, Ph.D., the year following Hurricane Hugo's devastation to South Carolina's lowcountry, his childhood home. Twiggs was born in St. Stephen in 1934. He graduated from Claflin College in Orangeburg in 1956 and went on to complete his graduate studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and New York University. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; free but donations appreciated, 843-238-2510. Through Jan. 4 – Brookgreen Gardens’ Holiday Exhibits. Two indoor holiday exhibits feature the history, art and horticulture of the South Carolina coast. Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., free with garden admission (OLLI discount), 843235-6000. 10